Fearless Dentistry

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt

I once read somewhere that three-quarters of U.S. adults have some degree of dental fear, from mild to severe. Maybe it’s just the thought of someone sticking things in your mouth. (We can’t do dentistry any other way, unfortunately.) As many as 5–10 percent of adults experience dental phobia. In other words, they’re so afraid of seeing the dentist that they would do anything to avoid dental treatment.

As a dentist, I find this terribly sad and unnecessary. Too many fearful would-be dental patients only get dental care when their neglect finally turns into a dental emergency, like a toothache or abscess, necessitating invasive treat. This can lead to a “cycle of avoidance,” in which the resulting dental emergency serves to reinforce the patient’s fear of dentistry.

“Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.”— Robert Louis Stevenson

Fear not! It’s better to get your dental situation handled than to put it off and make any potential problem worse.

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Kluss, call (949) 496-4402 or click here to schedule an appointment. We’re located at 32282 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA 29675.